Hilariously Ironic Signs That Clearly Weren’t Thought Out

Signs are often used to advertise or to state a rule, but some are too ironic to be effective. Instead, they seem more like a joke, which doesn't exactly send the right message. From a paper sign about how to save paper, to a cleaner's sign that's too dirty to read, these hilarious messages could have used a proofreader.

Appeasing The Pet-Lovers

Individually, both of these signs are perfectly typical. It's because they are next to one another that they don't make an ounce of sense. The top sign reads, "No pets allowed."

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sillytrail882/Reddit
sillytrail882/Reddit

But just below it is a sign that says, "All pets must be on leash." It's as though pet-lover had adamantly ignored the first rule so often that management finally caved. They may as well have said, "Fine, if you're going to bring your pet, at least leash it up!"

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Is It One Or Two?!

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The masterminds behind this billboard underestimated people's ability to count. It reads, "There is only one Morgan & Morgan." We hate to break it to the many creatives who made this sign happen, but that's two Morgans.

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piles_petko/Reddit
piles_petko/Reddit
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They probably meant that there's only one Morgan & Morgan business, but they didn't make that distinction. To top it off, there's only one person pictured, which makes it seem like there is a single owner literally named Morgan & Morgan.

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Stop Diabetes With Cookies!

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When Subway decided to raise funds for diabetes, they knew just what to bribe their customers with: cookies! The sign reads, "Please help stop diabetes. Free cookie when you donate $1.00 for diabetes fund."

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dlib_76/Reddit
dlib_76/Reddit
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Does that mean if you donate $20, you get 20 cookies? It's great to raise money for a good cause, but this seems to contradict the good work they're trying to do! At the same time, it's not like free carrots are going to get people donating.

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Take The Stage, Just Not This One

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The back of this stage has a star-covered wall that reads, "Take the stage" in huge letters. Apparently, people were taking that message too literally because they had to add another sign.

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OMGLMAOWTF_com/Reddit
OMGLMAOWTF_com/Reddit
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On the stage is a foldout sign that reads, "Please stay off stage." We love that the "please" is in a smaller font than the rest of the words to drive home the directive. The contrasting signs pretty much describe what auditioning feels like.

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What Not To Do To Save Paper

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This sign certainly had the best of intentions; it just failed at executing them. It reads, "How to save paper," and features different examples of what to do to be more environmentally-friendly.

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ddh85/Reddit
ddh85/Reddit
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The problem is how much unnecessary paper was used to make the sign! Each letter of the title is practically a single page! Plus, every suggestion has a blank page of colored paper behind it purely for looks, as does the entire giant corkboard.

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The Sign's Off, But Your Car Will Be Fine

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An alignment shop has one job: to align. While this job technically only applies to cars, customers may be a little hesitant if the shop can't even get their sign straight.

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Camwood7/Reddit
Camwood7/Reddit
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Hilariously, the "t" in "Alignment Shop" is tilted! To be fair, the marking on the wall indicates that it was straight for some time but eventually shifted to the side. It might not be so obviously hilarious if the store had a slightly more ambiguous name.

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Say No To Plastic Bags, Including This One

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This advertisement looks like it was probably placed in someone's front door based on its bent shape. It features recycling tips and an adorable cartoon Earth giving a thumbs up.

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Zullbak/Reddit
Zullbak/Reddit
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Above the cartoon reads, "Say no to plastic bags!" While the message is great, it's also hypocritical. That's because the entire paper is wrapped in... wait for it... a plastic bag! Even if it was raining, they'd be better off leaving a soggy piece of paper than ignoring their own advice.

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The Thing That Needs Fixing Is This Sign!

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This sign is advertising a rather useful app. All that someone has to do is scan the QR code to download the Report-A-Fault app. Then if they see something that's broken around town, they can report it by simply snapping a photo!

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scrubadubadubadub/Reddit
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Ironically, the first thing someone would probably think to report is this sign! It's all bent out of shape as though someone gave it a good kick. The sign reads, "Spot something that needs fixing?" Yeah, this sign.

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The Titanic Exhibition Has Sunk

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Thanks to the on-screen chemistry between Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, the Titanic is one of the more well-known sunken ships in US history. As such, we would guess that this Titanic artifact exhibition is quite the hot spot.

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ThatLittleP4nda/Reddit
ThatLittleP4nda/Reddit
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Unfortunately, this sign indicates that the exhibition is temporarily closed. The reason for the closure couldn't be more ironic: water damage! That sounds more like the punchline to a Titanic joke than a reason to close the exhibition.

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Fined In The Afterlife

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Whoever wrote this sign was clearly trying to scare people straight. Instead, they created a warning too ironic to take seriously. This sign reads, "Touching wires causes instant death. $200 fine."

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yohiyoyo/Reddit
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If the wires send you instantly to the grave, who's going to pay that fine? Losing your life just isn't enough of a punishment. Getting a $200 fine sent straight to the afterlife should teach those rebels not to make the same mistake twice.

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Progress, Not Perfection!

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This sign couldn't have been more perfectly placed. It's attached to a gate over a large expanse and reads, "Working together to reduce flood risk." The sign would seem perfectly normal if the bank wasn't full of water right up to the bottom of the text.

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nomaddd79/Reddit
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It's hard to believe that the flood naturally stopped right where it did, as though the rain created the irony on purpose. But hey, flood reduction is all about progression, not perfection.

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This Is Not One Of Those Things

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A lot of people love those home decor signs that read cute little sayings like, "Live, love, laugh," or, "Rise and grind." This one reads, "The best things in life are free."

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AllAroundGamerTM/Reddit
AllAroundGamerTM/Reddit
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While it's a nice sentiment, it makes things a little awkward when you go to buy it. It's especially ironic because the sign costs more than $20, which is rather steep for a piece of cork with some text on it. Apparently, this is not one of the best things in life.

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Professional Cleaners, Just Not Of Signs

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If this sign seems difficult to read, it's because the letters are literally buried in grime. The sign reads, "Professional Care Cleaners," but it doesn't seem like they really provide that service based on the sign.

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radiofan122/Reddit
radiofan122/Reddit
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A store's name and the corresponding sign can be what brings potential customers in, or what keeps them out. In this case, we're fairly sure it's keeping people out. Maybe they have too many customers and wanted to avoid bringing in more?

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That Dog Was Not Deterred

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This spray bottle is literally named "No Chew Deterrent." The designer even put the words in all capital, bright red letters so it pops on the pet store shelves. Unfortunately, the marketing was better than the product.

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andythisisyourfault/Reddit
andythisisyourfault/Reddit
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That, or this dog is one bold eater because it definitely chewed the bottle to shreds. The teeth marks are all over the bottle, and it looks like the dog successfully broke through the bottom. That proof should be enough for a refund.

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Now Teaching Leteracy

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This elementary school advertised their "Leteracy Night" on a tall sign for all to see. It's too bad that it's supposed to be spelled "literacy"! While it's a simple spelling mistake, it does reduce some of their credibility.

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LucPux3/Reddit
LucPux3/Reddit
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Worst of all is that their motto is, "Where children and learning come first." If learning is their top priority, then parents should probably brace for their kids to learn poor spelling. Seriously, how did no one notice this?

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Nothing (But This) Is Written In Stone

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"Written in stone" is an idiom that refers to things that are still open to change. This sign seems to be referring to the idiom as it says, "Nothing is written in stone."

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mmmeesss/Reddit
mmmeesss/Reddit
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The ironic part is that the sign is literally written in stone. Metaphorically speaking, this is accurate in the sense that things always change to some extent. However, literally speaking, this doesn't make any sense given this and the many other texts carved into stone.

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We Don't Fit

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Driving a semi-truck is no joke. It's a heavy load to drive, has tons of gears, and doesn't fit everywhere. This driver had to learn that last lesson the hard way.

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gpm1120/Imgur
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It's too bad they were driving a semi that reads "we fit" on the back when it did. The driver attempted to squeeze the massive truck under a bridge, which was clearly a mistake. Somehow it ended up tilting to the side and sliding its roof along the bottom of the overpass!

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A Broken Doorbell At A Maintenance Shop

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This Mall Maintenance Shop sign states, "We can repair anything." That seems like an over-exaggeration, but we appreciate the confidence. The funny thing is that they then put in parenthesis, "Please knock hard on the door, the bell doesn't work."

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howardstern143/Imgur
howardstern143/Imgur
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So they can repair anything except for the doorbell? Or is it that they could fix it, but choose not to? Either way, that sign gives every potential customer a reason to turn around and walk out.

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Go Ahead And Park!

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If there's one type of sign that gets a ton of attention, it's the ubiquitous parking sign. No one wants to get a pricey ticket while they're away from the car, or worse, have their vehicle towed. But this parking sign isn't very clear about what it's stating.

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Cory0527/Reddit
Cory0527/Reddit
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It reads, "Illegally parked cars will be fine." It's amazing how just one letter can completely change something's meaning. Without a "d" at the end of the sign, it seems like people can go ahead and park without consequence.

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There Are At Least Two Colors

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Sometimes cities have names that don't really match the landscape. Such is the case with Colorful, Colorado. As the city's welcome sign illustrates, there isn't much color in this misnamed town.

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franklinyulian/Reddit
franklinyulian/Reddit
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The hills in the distance are brown and hardly developed so that there aren't even vibrant homes to color the bleak landscape. Even the sign is a solid brown color with off-white text. There's at least a bit of green in the shrubs and a blue sky overhead, but it's not exactly a rainbow.